New alcohol-free group holds meet and greets

Brand-new Canyon Lake Beyond the Bottle held its first meet and greet events on Friday and Saturday to help introduce the group to the community.

Friday’s meeting was held at Starbucks in Canyon Hills and had seven in attendance. Saturday’s meet and greet at the Canyon Lake Country Club had 10 in attendance.

Canyon Lake Beyond the Bottle was created by Marissa Charest and Aprile McKinnon after their stories of living alcohol free appeared in The Friday Flyer. The group was formed in hopes that there were others who also shared their story.

“We might be the smallest club in Canyon Lake, but that’s OK,” Aprile said. “We want to be here to encourage one another and have events not focused around drinking.”

If people want  to cut back, enjoy events without drinking or live an alcohol-free life that is what Beyond the Bottle is about. The club’s Facebook Group has 25 members so far and is looking to add anyone who wants to join.

“It just might be that there are more people in Canyon Lake who want to live a life not focused on drinking, but on building friendships,” Aprile said.

Marissa has been called brave, bold, and inspiring in comments people have shared since her story hit The Friday Flyer.

“I feel like I gave our AF community a chance to have a voice and a safe place to enjoy each other and the lake without booze,” Marissa said. “I needed this more than I thought I did. We all needed each other and didn’t realize how much.”

The club currently has a breakfast scheduled at the Country Club on Monday at 10:00 a.m. and a pizza night at PZA in the Canyon Lake Town Center where the organizers are encouraging people to bring their families on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.